The Wood Brothers

Brothers Oliver and Chris Wood -- the Wood Brothers -- grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and both left the area after graduating from high school, Oliver moving to Atlanta while Chris ended up in New York. Oliver, a guitarist, discovered he had a knack for writing songs and formed the blues-based King Johnson, which continues to do frequent gigs on the Southern circuit. Chris, a bassist, began playing jazz and rock in New York, eventually teaming up with John Medeski and Billy Martin to form the successful jazz-funk trio Medeski, Martin & Wood. The brothers began jamming together at family functions, and the duo's roots-inflected blend of blues, folk, and rock quickly took shape. They privately released the Live at Tonic EP, which was drawn from their first-ever public concert at New York's Tonic venue on March 5, 2005. Signed to Blue Note Records, the Wood Brothers released their debut album, Ways Not to Lose, in 2006. The album, which features drummer Kenny Wollesen on five tracks, was produced by John Medeski and recorded at Allarie Studios in Shokan, New York. The first in a proposed series of live releases, Live, Vol. 1: Sky High, appeared in the spring of 2012. The warm and wonderful The Muse, produced by Buddy Miller, arrived in the fall of 2013. Recorded at Black Keys guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach's East Eye Sound Studios, the Honey Jar Records-issued Paradise dropped in 2015. ~ Steve Leggett

One of my favorite bands of all time...I just can't get enough of them. Saw them last week in Ohio, and they were so much better live--Musicianship, harmony, and their timing is off the ever-loving-hook!!!

Y'all need to get some King Johnson music on Pandora. Oliver Wood and his pals (KJ) were for a long time (in my humble opinion) the best live band in the Southeast. Funky, irreverent, and always showmen, they cut five or six cd's on independent labels before Oliver and Chris took off.

My husband was Chris's bass and jazz teacher when Chris was in high school. We saw them a couple weeks ago in Ithaca. We had a great time. What fun. If you get a chance go see The Wood Brothers. You won't be sorry!

I don't know a Chris Pearson - but he offered the funniest goddamned comment on a Pandora performance I've ever read. I'm just glad music doesn't have the same effect on me as it does him. As for the Wood Bros. - very pleasant good stuff.